Interview with Lou McGrath, Mines Advisory Group
Lou McGrath, Chief Executive
of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), has played a key role in the
development of landmine clearance techniques which MAG has implemented in more than
35 countries since its foundation in 1989.
What inspired you to work in the sector and in the area of humanitarian landmine clearance in particular?
Originally I was inspired by my brother. He recognised the problem of landmines in Afghanistan in 1989 and that there was little, if anything, being done to help the people who lived in the areas that were affected. My background is in the commercial sector, and I also have military experience, so I knew there was definitely a solution. I suppose we inspired each other to get involved. Initially, there was an annoyance at people not listening, but we became stronger and with it more forceful and determined to drive the work forward.
In 1992 we ran our first programme, in Northern Iraq. As with most new ventures we had to create everything from scratch: we had to work out the equipment, the safety and the responsibility to staff. Then momentum takes over and you find skills you never knew you had.
Describe your role at Mines Advisory Group?
I have the usual responsibilities that come with being a Chief Executive, such as accountability to the Board and Charity Commission. But I also have the ability to devolve responsibility to others, and with this comes the need to trust others with tasks I used to do myself. I also need to inspire and influence people both internally and externally to MAG, and, of course, there is the need to be strategic as well.
What is the most rewarding, and challenging, part of your job?
When you see devastation, for example, villages in Cambodia which had a massive problem with landmines and other weaponry, and where the people felt under constant threat, and then you go back to the same village's years later and see that the whole situation has changed. The children are going to school, the economic circumstances have changed and a gateway of opportunity has opened up to a community that before was living in fear. That creates a tremendous feeling of reward.
It can be challenging to bring something strategic that you have in mind into being. You know there's a solution but you have to be determined enough to work it out over a long period of time, and to influence donors, and at times it can be extremely frustrating.
What specific skills do you need to do your job well?
Three things spring to mind: the patience not to rush things; the strong will to succeed; and the need to work as a team. There is no point in being a dictator as solutions are only really found when people work together. You have to resist thinking that you know best!
What are you are working on at the moment?
MAG has always been more than just about clearing mines and ordnance disposal, for instance, we had a huge influence on the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Now we are playing a preventative role. When years of conflict and war end, there is an excess of weapons and ammunition, and often it starts to get flogged across the border. We want to push donors not just for the mine clearance but also to do something about the overall issue - MAG wants to be part of a preventative process by using a holistic approach rather than purely being responsive to an immediate situation.
How does MAG prioritise where work and activities take place?
There are two sides to the process: the actual clearing of minefields, which is a technical process, and the community liaison side where we work with communities to bring about change based on their priorities. On a field level, MAG can only do so much, therefore we have to prioritise our work, such as clearing areas for schools and food storage and working with people whose lives have been affected, but we also need to prioritise how we can use our expertise most effectively and efficiently. There is a before, during and after process that needs to determine what further work is required.
How important is it that MAG works in close cooperation with local communities?
MAG provides a whole package. Obviously, we help people to be more mine-aware and help people to live safely. There is a limitation in people's patience if it's only education-based. It is important to help them to provide a solution to the problems, and for them to take ownership of the solutions.
We also work with other organisations who are experts in their own fields, for instance to provide medical assistance or to put in a well, to help meet the wider needs of the community.
In your opinion, what is MAG's most significant accomplishment?
I think the biggest accomplishment is to have actually stayed the course, despite the pitfalls! I work with a lot of inspiring people, most notably the staff at MAG, and they really believe in the work that we do.
What lessons have you learnt from your career so far?
Everything has been a lesson learnt. Having come from the commercial sector, I was surprised about the competitive nature of the charities! Initially I became a bit disheartened because I thought everyone would be wonderful but sometimes that was far from the truth. Funding is a particular competitive area, but that's life.
Do you have a mentor or inspiration?
I don't have a ‘God'. My driving force is the legacy our work will leave to the people that come after us, the next generation. If we didn't clear minefields or dispose of the array of arsenal that comes our way we would effectively be killing people in the future, that would be the legacy. It is horrible to think that they wouldn't have known what lead to it: the arms industry; and the various political forces and influences. Future generations would pay a high price for our lack of action.
What do you see as the key challenge for the international development community in the coming year?
The real challenge is how aid will be given in the future. Competitive tendering, through DFID and other donors, is going to hit charities and NGOs hard as they aren't prepared. This is a real difficulty for smaller charities in particular. They need to get together, to work together and support each other. It is very difficult to build up the unrestricted funds needed to actually run the organisation, and there is just not enough help for smaller organisations - MAG experienced this in the early years.
How we respond to assisting other organisations is crucial to helping them secure funding from donors. And then of course there is the relatively new aspect of commercial organisations tendering for the delivery of aid. There are challenging times ahead for us all and we need to be aware of the issues.
Lou McGrath became Executive Director of MAG in 1996. Previous to his work for MAG, he served in the British Army. MAG is a neutral and impartial humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of communities worldwide.
MAG is co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for its work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which culminated in the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty - the international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines, sometimes referred to as the Ottawa Convention.
For more information: www.maginternational.org
